TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Prevalence and predictors of falls in a health-seeking older population: an outpatient-based study JO - Aging medicine (Milton (N.S.W)) A1 - Subramanian, Manicka Saravanan A1 - Singh, Vishwajeet A1 - Chatterjee, Prashun A1 - Dwivedi, Sada Nand A1 - Dey, Aparajit Ballav SP - 25 EP - 31 VL - 3 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Falls are one of the major causes of disability in older people. A wide range of risk factors for falls are described according to setting - inpatient, nursing homes and community. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for falls in an outpatient setting.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, 160 consenting subjects were enrolled randomly, from the Geriatric Medicine outpatient department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. Non-ambulatory, seriously ill subjects were excluded. The subjects underwent brief evaluation including falls and geriatric assessment. They were grouped into fallers and non-fallers. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with falls.

RESULTS: The prevalence of falls was 23.75% (38/160). Women were proportionately higher (26.31%) in the fallers group vis-à-vis 19.67% in the non-fallers group. After multivariate analysis, opioids (odds ratio [OR] 5.24 [95% CI, 2.0 18-13.611]), vision impairment (OR 2.71 [95% CI, 1.050-07.011]), fear of falling (OR 3.17 [95% CI, 1.167-08.629]), instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) impairment (OR 3.41 [95% CI, 1.251-09.301]), anti-anginal medications (OR 8.90 [95% CI, 0.997-79.564]) and self-employment (OR 5.37 [95% CI, 1.058-27.329]) were associated with falls. Adequate nutrition (OR 0.82 [95% CI, 0.688-00.976]) and caregiver support (OR 0.46 [95% CI, 0.275-00.801]) were protective of falls.

CONCLUSION: We identified the multi-factorial etiology of falls. Patients having any of the above risk factors should undergo detailed fall risk assessment and preventive measures afterwards.

© 2020 The Authors. Aging Medicine published by Beijing Hospital and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2475-0360 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/agm2.12096 ID - ref1 ER -